The physics that governs the interactions between atoms and light waves underpins many key technologies in modern society. These include lasers, telecommunications, precision instruments, biomedicine and so on. In this lecture, I will present an intuitive picture of how atoms interact with light, and the ways in which their interactions can be controlled and tailored using simple optics components like mirrors. I will also introduce some of the state-of-the-art nanoscale tools for engineering such interactions, which represent the forefront science that could enable next generation atomic and quantum technologies.